Cup or hole-rim for golf-links.



H. HINOKLEY. 0UP 0R HOLE RIM FOR GOLF LINKS.

APPLICATION FILED FAILS. 1912.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

HOWARD HINCKLEY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CUP OR HOLE-RIM FOR GOLF-LINKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15,1912.

Application filed January 9, 1912. Serial No. 670,217.

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD HINoKLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cups or Hole-Rims for Golf-Links; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In the applicants prior United States Patent No. 947,819, dated February 1, 1910, there is described and claimed a novel form of cup for golf-holes provided with means for feeding it upward and downward in the golf-hole, and the present invention contemplates further improvements in devices of this same general character with a view of simplifying the construction and mode of application of the device and rendering the same more efficient to effect the object for which it is intended.

To this end the invention involves a device of the class described, comprising a cup section and an anchor section, each preferably made of pressed metal, with an adj usting connection bet-ween the respective sections, including a threaded stem on one section, viz, the cup section, and a mutilated nut on the other section adapted to engage the threaded stem and serving, in addition to the adjusting function, to clear the threads on the stem of obstructing material and thereby facilitate the engagement of the two sections and the adjustment of the cup section, with respect to the anchor section and the surface of the ground.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section showing the mode of applying the device to position in a golf-hole, Fig. 2 is a similar section showing the device in place, associated with a marker rod, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cup section, Fig. 4: is a vertical section through the same, Fig. 5 is an elevation of the anchor section, broken away at the top, Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the anchor section, and Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of the anchor section.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the cup section, in the bottom of which there is an opening 2 which is not large enough to permit a golf ball to drop out but which is sutliciently large to allow an effective draining of the cup of all moisture which may enter the same and also to receive the butt end of the bamboo, or metal marking rod generally employed to indicate the position of the hole on the putting green. Depending from the bottom of the cup and surrounding the hole 2 is a stem 3, preferably formed integrally with the cup 1 and provided with helical threads, said stem being open throughout its length. The cup and its stem may be conveniently formed of pressed metal, and preferably the entire device is made from high grade pressed steel, although it will be understood that the cup and associated anchor section may be formed in any other satisfactory manner and of any other desired or suitable material. The cup section 1 is provided with two diametrically disposed openings 2 2 adapted to receive the lugs or fingers of a suitable wrench or tool employed for setting and adjusting the cup.

The anchor section consists of an inverted cupshaped shell 4 having a slightly convexed top provided with arelatively large central opening 6, the rim of the opening being interrupted at diametrically opposite points by reentrant lugs 7 which are twisted or skewed from a substantially horizontal plane to collectively form engaging elements for the thread on the stem 3, the said lugs 7 together with the top of the anchor section constituting a mutilated nut, the lugs 7 of which forming the interrupted thread portion of the nut and serve not only to engage and hold the cup in any desired adjustment, but also to clear the threads on the stem 3 of any material which would tend to obstruct said threads and therefore prevent the proper adjustment of the cup. Depending from the lower edge of the anchor section 4 are two anchoring legs 8 which are folded or bent into substantially U-shaped form in cross section to add the necessary element of strength and also to penetrate the earth at the bottom of the hole and lock the anchoring section against any other movement than a direct upward pull for the purpose of withdrawing the said anchor section whenever such withdrawal is found necessary.

To apply the device to its intended purpose, a hole of a suitable depth and diam eter is made in the turf of the putting green, by means of an earth auger or other suitable implement. The cup section 1 and the anchor section 4 are then engaged with each other so that the thread 7 on the anchor section stands about midway the height of the stem 3, and the parts thus assembled are dropped into place in the hole and forced against the bottom of the hole until the legs 8 of the anchor section are set firmly into the soil at the bottom of the hole. This preliminary setting and the final adjustment of the cup may be effected by a suitable wrench 10 having a cross-bar 11 with pendant lugs adapted to enter the holes 2 2 and provided with a tubular co-re cutter 12, applied as shown in Fig. 1. By applying a turning movement to the wrench 10 by means of the cross handle thereon, the cup 1 is turned to cause the screwthreaded stem 3 thereof to travel on the mutilated nut threads formed by the lugs 7 until the cup is sunk to the desired depth with its upper edge or rim at the usual depth below the surface of the surrounding green. The downward movement of the cup and the wrench causes the tubular core cutter 1.2 of the wrench to cut a cylindrical section from the bottom of the golf-hole in alinement with the opening in the bottom of the cup and the hollow stem thereof. After the cup has been set down to the proper depth the wrench is withdrawn and carries with it the core of earth cut from the bottom of the hole. Should it be found desirable to further adjust the cup with re spect to the level of the ground, after it has been once set, it is only necessary to drop the wrench 10 in place within the cup and turn the said wrench to move the cup up or down by means of the screw threaded adjusting connection between the stem 8 thereof and the lugs 7 of the mutilated nut of the anchor section. This adjustment of the cup with respect to the anchor section and the surface of the putting green is greatly facilitated by the action of the lugs 7 which serve to cut loose and force out any material clogging the threads on the stem 3 and therefore tending to obstruct the working of the threaded stem in the nut. It will be noted that the relatively large opening through the bottom of the cup, and the hollow stem. thereof together with the cored out section at the bottom of the golf-hole, affords a relatively long, vertical support for the butt ends of the ordinary bamboo marker rods employed to indicate the position of the hole and to hold said rods normally in vertical position and prevent them falling over and whipping against the edge of the turf surrounding the hole under the action of the wind.

This large opening through the bottom of the cup also aifords an opportunity to place a shoe or protector 16 on the bottom of the ordinary metal marker rod 15 which is frequently employed in lieu of the bamboo poles to mark the position of the hole in the ground, the upper part of said shoe 16 being provided with a flange or collar 17 which rests on the bot-tom of the cup 1 as illustrated in Fig. 2. The use of this shoe on the metal marking rod will in a large measure prevent the mutilation of the sward and the earth adjacent the hole by careless caddies and will, as indicated, prevent the marker falling over and mutilatingthe earth about the edge of the hole.

The device as described also serves an additional advantageous purpose in that it avoids the necessity of frequently shifting the position of a golf-hole on the putting green due to the mutilation of the earth about the edge of the hole. Owing to the impact of the golf balls against the earth forming the rim of a hole above the edge of the cup it has heretofore been found necessary to remove the old form of hole rims or liners and bore a new hole in a different position using the core of earth taken therefrom to fill up the old hole. By employing the present invention, the position of the hole on the green need not be changed or shifted at all and any damage to the earth about the hole may be quickly repaired by raising the cup, by means of the wrench, until its upper edge projects above the surface of the green surrounding the hole and then filling in the broken portion of the turf about the edge of the hole and compacting it against the body of the cup until the earth about the edge of the hole is sufliciently hard and regular to meet the requirements of the game, after which the cup is again lowered and adjusted to position.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A device of the class described, comprising a cup section, an anchor section, and an adjusting connection between said sections including a threaded stem on one section and reent-rant helically disposed lugs forming a mutilated thread on the other section cooperating with said threaded stem and adapted to clear the threads thereon of obstructions.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a cup section having a threaded stem, and an anchor section having a central opening and reentrant helically disposed lugs forming a mutilated thread for engaging the threaded stem.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a cup having a pendant stem with screw threads thereon, and an anchor section of inverted cup form with depending anchoring legs and a central top opening with rentrant helically disposed lugs forming a mutilated thread for engaging the threaded stem.

4. A device of the class described, comprising a pressed metal cup having a hollow pendant stem with threads formed thereon, and a pressed metal anchor section of inverted cup form having depending anchoring legs, and a central top opening surrounded by an interrupted rim having heli- 10 cally disposed lugs forming a mutilated nut for engaging the threaded stem.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HOWVARD HINCKLEY. WVitnesses ARTHUR L. BRYANT, CHAS. J. ONEILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, washington, D. C. 

